The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-10-26
MARY JAMES TRAVELS.
WHAT SIZE AND DICKEY THINK OF
LOW LYING HOLLAND.
The Appalling Delight There TAKEN IN
CleanIines.-A W~dding-street Cars In
rurope-Amsterdain.t the Venice Of the
North-Some Other Matters OF interest,"
Special Correspondence

Special Correspondence
ROTTERDAM. Oct. q.-Holland has made
more dams than anv other country on the
globe There are dykes and dams and canals
everywhere in Holland, and the water prlvi-
leg,s are something unique. The custom OF
wearing those great wooden shoes affected
here, think grew out Of the desire oi tue
people To have with them always something
which might be instantly converted into lie
preservers in case Of expected emergency.
We have given a week or more 10 Amster-
dam. the Hague, Rotterdam and excursions
along the waterways, and more interesting
country geographically and ethnoginphi-
cally We have not seen in Europe. The COS
TUNES and Language are especially notlce'.ole'
and "A raw Dutch family, Ia town Tor holl-
day. decked out in balloon trousers, goa
mounted head dresses and cumbersome
wooden shoes is a sight to make the angels
smile and draw a crowd equal to circus
The chief custom is cleanliness, and the
first morning walk We took in Amsterdam
think. we saw 10000 housemaidS in light blue
calico dresses and white cap out IN front Oh
their respective habitations, shaking carpets
and beating rugs and door mats. They are
strong and active, and they jerk strip oil
carpet till it pops like a iirecracker The
women are house cleaning seven days in the
week, and the men have a weary and har-
assed kind Of complexion, which excltes
the sympathy OF all beholders Yet matri-
monv seems to be not unpopular in Holland,
and il is one Of the most thickly populated
districts of the world
By the wav. We went to wedding one day
in Amsterdam they always do their marry
ing on Tuesdays and Thursdays. which was
quite swell II took place in Catholic
church, and was similar to all other weddings
have attended, except that the deaconsiook
up not one collection, but two. ] never hear
of collection being taken up at church
wedding before. but suppose IT was for the
benefit Of the sufferers and ] certainly do
not begrudge the amount Of my contribution,
which was one Dutch cent, and would have
been two, only the deacon did not come TO
me with the basket on the first round.
| want 10 make a few remarks on street
cars in Europe. II has always been n hobby
Of mine 10 see our car, painted IN black and
gilt. as some of our carriages are. but the
hobby has never been realized. and nlues. and
greens, and yellows and dirty whites still
offend my eyes at home, but in Amsterdam
found what had been looking for. and her
street cars, on some lines are things OF
beauty Nothing ] ever saw in America
compares with them, and nothing ever will
until some woman OF taste j. made the con-
trolling spirit of an American street car line.
will remark here that / am open 10 engage
ment al a good salary and a small per cent.
commission.
Everywhere in Europe, | believe, the
street car system is better than in America.
rates are lower for short distances, the horses
are seldom mules. the car drivers and con
ductors wear tasteful and clean uniforms.
every passenger can have a seat. the comfort
of passengers is looked 10 in other RESPECTS
and the ears make good time. In Leip-ic l
found the system almost perfect for comfort
and safety Passengers cannot get on OF of
except on the opposite side from an approach
ing car; the brake in the drivers hand Is
fitted with a bell, which he rings to warn
pedestrians at crossings, and as a warning ar
every corner turning into another street, IN
every square there j. a "Haltestelle, where
the cars stop 10 load or unload, and al
various intervals comfortable shelter houses
are provided for waiting passengers. don't
say We don't have any Of this in America,
but where we do 1t Is the exception. If II
were common | presume car stock would
only he worth 800 cents on the dollar, instead
Of 375 or 400 as it now is
Amsterdam is the wettest town ] ever got
into. believe they call 1t the Venice OF
the north. but unlike Venice, II has not only
a wet sea around it. but a wet sky above 1t.
1t rained all the time We were there, and
there is a continual boom in the umbrella
business | am informed by Dickey, who
reads guide books and meteorological reports,
that the only year in which it does not rain
3Gj days there is leap year, on which occasion
the record is 3G6 This statement | do not
vouch for
There are 800 bridges in the city Though
Venice has go, which enables person 70 get
in out Of the wet under a new one. | heard
no complaint of monotony in this respect.
Another one Of my idols is dashed TO earth.
have been looking everywhere for the man
the English speaking traveller unsuccess-
fully accOsts in every known tongue except
his own. and the traveller finally says DO
YOU speak English and the man says OF
course do, and the traveller SAYS, We'll.
why in thunder didn't yOu say 50 al first
say la G. been looking for that man very
where with incessant failure, and don't be
iievc he exists At least h. doesn't exist to
person OF ordinary intelligence and expert
ence
The person doe, exist though, who Is con-
s,antly reminding you that this thing and
that thing aud the other thing isn't anything
like it is in America, aud I'VE do better than
that in the states, and kindred filings at
European manners, customs and effects.
don't like that kind, and my brief expert
ence over here has taught me that people
who think they know everything sometimes
lont know nothing occasionally. and that
| there j. set vast deal Of untausht, every
day wisdom in Europe for the future profit
voungster nation. At the same time
patriotically announce that wouldn't give
4 sh0yelful of United States dirt Tor the en-
tire continent OF Europe for nay own per
sonal Use and pleasure.
We stopped III the Hague to See what kind
of a capital Holland had, and IA point of
quiet. shady beauty We found II superior 10
any We have seen; but it is not IA Dutch town
! in ap,earance. which fact doesn't interfere
AL all with the standard Of the beautiful.
have been looking Tor pretty Dutch
woman. but without Success, They are built
OH the English plan physically, bat they
have charm that the English have not, and
! that IL an informal frankness, which j. Won